The Democratic Party joined forces with the Free Silver Republicans to jointly nominate former State Representative Horace C. Alger for Governor.

The Populist Party, though reduced in influence from earlier elections, nominated E. B. Viall as its candidate.

Though the election was closer than 1894, owing in large part to a dramatic reduction in the share of vote received by the Populist nominee, Roberts defeated Alger by a wide margin.

Governor Richards announced that he would seek re-election, and prior to the Republican convention, he was seen as one of three frontrunners, along with banker DeForest Richards and State Senator John McGill of Albany County.

[2] The Democratic convention occurred as a joint affair with Free Silver Republicans, and the coalition split up the statewide candidates among the two members of the coalition; the Democrats nominated candidates for Governor, Secretary of State, and Treasurer, and Free Silver Republicans chose candidates for State Auditor and Superintendent of Public Instruction.